Cabbage in Germany

Cabbage in Germany

History

Cabbage in Germany

In medieval times cabbage started to become popular towards the north. Cabbage, during this period also knows as „caulos“, had already been mentioned in the country estate regulation of Karl dem Großen in which he determined 73 plants that should be planted on the imperial commodities at the end of the 8th century.

Especially in the north of Germany cabbage found the perfect growing conditions. Indeed, cabbage is not very sophisiticated but it loves eutrophic land and needs a regular water supply. In the german coast region it grew gorgeos. The North of Germany was the most important center of cabbage. This fact can still be seen in events and the notorious cabbage tours. In the region of Dithmarschen in Schleswig Holstein even a cabbage street exists which leads from Brunsbüttel throught the towns of the coast to the North up to Wesselburen and ends in Büsum. In other geman regions the cabbage tradition is kept up as well. For example in Fildern, a production are on the high plain in the south of Stuttgart, the capital of Baden Württemberg, where they celebrate the Filderkrautfest in October every year. It is said to be Germanys biggest cabbage event.

Poor People Food

During centuries cabbage often proves to be the rescue for the population when hard times arrived or a hard winter had to be survived. Cabbage was said to be a „poor people food“. Exeptions were most likely cauliflower and broccoli which were more precous and which were not banished from the noble kitchen.

After Word War II it was the Americans and the Britains that named the Germans „Krauts“, since in the 19th century especially the imports from overseas pushed the cultivation of cabbage: The cultivation of cabbage was not only very profitable but also substituted. The cultivation of corn lost its current value by cheap imports and wasn‘t lucrative for the farmer anymore. After World War II the interest in cabbage descrased, the stucture of the cabbage cultivating farms changed. Instead of many small farms mainly large ones took over the production.

Today the cabbage in Germany experiences a small rebirth: Old types which are forgotten durin the industrial cultivation are discovered again. The gastronomy in which especially the white cabbage has its problems to be implemented in the last decades, the haute cuisine uses the all-round vegetables again.

History

German art of cabbage

Wild cabbage

Optically, the plant with its delicate yellow flowers has generally nothing in common with its relatives red cabbage, white cabbage and brussels sprouts. Because of the slightly curly and green leafs it is actually similar to green cabbage. But in fact the wild cabbage – or cliff cabbage, how it is called on the island of Helgoland - is the ancestor of all of our todays cabbage types.

The red cabbage

The red cabbe belongs to the round cabbage types. Its leafs are strong, ceraceous and closed to a strong head. The colour of its leafs is the reason for its names: Due to the pH value of the ground, the cabbage becomes red, blue or purple. The more sour the ground is, the more red the cabbage gets. It also is a famous winter vegetable. It tastes rather sweet.


Savoy cabbage

The savoy is, just like its relatives white and red cabbage a round cabbage type and can be easily identified by its distinctive, curly leafs. The savoy came to Germany in the 18. century. The leafs are more loose grown and there are types which are round or types that taper.


Cauliflower

Nobody knows exaclty where the cauliflower comes from. Supposedly there were the crusaders that brought the seed to Italy in the 16th century. From there it found its way to Europes gardens and kitchens. Today the califlower i spread all over the world. The special feature of the cauliflower: already in the first year the florescence develop – the part of the flower that can be eaten later. The green leafs sourround the buds and protect them from the light. That‘s because the cauliflower normally stays white.


Broccoli

The Broccoli is a close relative of the cauliflower – here you also eat the still closed florescences, the so called roses, not the leafs. Probably the broccoli came from Asia over Italy to Germany as well. In contrary to the cauliflower it is not known for so long. Broccoli is now cultivatet in Germany as well. Since some of the 150 types that are available in the European Union can manage temperatures up to minus 5 degrees it is suitable for a late vegetable.


Grünkohl/Lippische Palme

Grünkohl ist nicht nur ein Gemüse, Grünkohl ist Kult. Zumindest im Norden Deutschlands. Die schnellwüchsige Blattkohlart mit den großen, krausen Blättern steht normalerweise bis nach dem ersten Frost auf dem Feld. Dann reichern sich die Blätter mit mehr Traubenzucker an und schmecken schlicht besser. Während der Grünkohl in südlichen Gefilden weniger bekannt ist, entwickelte sich vor allem im Norden Deutschlands der Anbau.

Neben dem normalen Grünkohl gibt es noch einige regionale Varianten, deren eine die Lippische Palme in Ostwestfalen ist. Diese Pflanze wird gut zwei Meter hoch, gegessen werden nur die oberen Blätter.


Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts is not only the smallest representative of its species but the youngest as well. At the end of the 18th century the Belgians startet to cultivate the vegetable. On a trunk that is 50 to 100 centimetres hight grow large, dark green leafs in which the buds shape. The small roses are only few centimetres big and approx. 100 are growing on one trunk.


Stem cabbage

The small stem cabbage is a cabbage type as wll, but here there are neither the flowers, nor he leafs the can be eaten but the thick main trunk that growth over the earth. The sturdy stem cabbage is about 30 centimetres high and can really deal with frost what makes it to a good winter vegetable. It can be eaten raw as well as cooked.


Chinakohl

Der Chinakohl ist in seiner Heimat Asien schon seit gut 1500 Jahren bekannt. Er soll aus einer Kreuzung zwischen Speiserübe und Pak Choi (Senfkohl) entstanden sein. Da auch der Chinakohl sehr vitaminreich ist, ist er in den Wintermonaten ein bedeutender Vitamin-C-Lieferant. In Europa wurde der Chinakohl erst im 20. Jahrhundert bekannt, erst seit ein paar Jahrzehnten hielt er als Gemüse oder Salat Einzug in deutschen Küchen.


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Cabbage – Vegetable with healing power

In acient times cabbage was an universal remed.In the ancient Greece and Rome people used cabbage in order to cure abdominal pain of women. The roman statesman Cato the older has already described the plant as an universal remedy 2000 years ago. Aristoteles ate the vegetable after he drank foo much, supposedly to antagonize an hangover. And the cleric savant and medical person Albertus Magnus declared that cabbage helps against tumors and gout. Additionally the vegetabel was used to clean skin and blood.

Cabbage is abounded in vitamins, calcium and co

100 grams of white coal contain the same amount of vitamin c as a glass of orange juice. More vitamin c has broccoli and brussels sprouts. The vitamins A, B, E and K as wll as the minerals calcium, iron and magnesium can be found in cabbage.

This vegetabel should prevent from cancer

Cabbage contains secondary plant compounds that should prevent from cancer including the so called glucosinolates. These shout protect the cabbage plants from enemies, bacterias or fungi. To the body these natural poisons have a cancer retarding effect. Additionally they should help in case of a gastritis, heartburn or an inflammation of the gullet.

Cabbage – veggetable with virtue

Cabbage – veggetable with virtue

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Good for the gut

Cabbage not only prevents from illnesses but can also relieve them. This has been found out by academics at the John-Hopkins-Universitiy in Baltimore. They used broccoli for persons with steadily narrowed pulmonary emphysemia. The compound sulforaphan decelerates the reduction of the important enzyme in the body of the sick person. The symptomes decreased. Cabbage contains a large amount of a special protein (Methylmthionin). It can can protect stomach and gut from tumors.

Down with the cholesterol

All kinds of cabbage contain a lot of fibels that are recommended for a healthy nutrition. On its way throught the digestive system, cabbage adheres to the gut for a long time and the fibeld pick up harmful substances and poisons. In the colon fibers are dismantled by bacteria.

Cabbage sleeves against inflammations

The healing power of cabbage should not only unfold itself in the body. In former times people used cabbage sleeves in order to decrease the symptoms of a sore throat and other infections. Therefore they cleaned the cabbage leafs, cut out the trunk and rolled it until the juice came out. Then they put the leafs on the spot that is infected and hurts. Up to the the 19th century this method was used to deal with wounds. Naturophath still use it against joint pain.

Typical GermanThe history of sauerkraut

How the sauerkraut was spread all over Europe has not beencleared yet. It is assumed that mongolic tribes bougt the chinesevariation of the sour cabbage to Europe in the 13th century.

From the medival age on it was common to plant cabbage in theown garden in the northern parts of Europe as well. Everybodyproduced his sauerkraut on his own, layed in in barrels and isperishable throughout the winter. In times when vegetables couldonly be conserved by inlaying, ensiling or in dried form sauerkrautwas the most important vitamin deliverer for the cold time of ther year.

In the 19th century the cultivation of cabbage and the production of sauerkraut started on a grand scale.In times of hunger and after the two world wars both again became important vegetabels on german menus. But after that the interest decreased again. With the modern food production, imports and better conservation methods cabbage lost its meaning step by step. Vegetrables were available throughout the year, could be buyed chilled or in cans. Cabbage was now said to be a foof for the poor. But an incrasing health awareness and the focus on regional products make the sauerkraut again interesting today.

Typisch Deutsch

Production:

White cabbage, salt, pressure and lactid acid

Basically, only two ingedients are necessary to make sauerkraut: White cabbage and salt. The rest is made by lactic acid bakteria. There are types of cabbage that are more suitable that others. Very suitable is the Fliederkraut from the region of Stuttgart, a lacy white cabbage that ensues a very special sauerkraut.

After the harvest the externel leafs of the white cabbage are removed and cutted without the trunk. Then the cutted cabbage is mixed with salt and filled into glass containers. Now it is very imporant that the cabbage gets pressure. The pressure and the salt destroy the cells of the cabbage, water and air can escape and the fermentation process can start.

Bacteria proliferate and produce lactic acid. In few days the cabbage has its typical sour taste and in the same time the development of unwanted microbes is stopped. After ten to twelve days the sauerkraut has a lactic acid content of ca. 1%.

Typisch Deutsch

Vitaminbomb sauerkraut

From the medival age on cabbage was planted in the private garden. Everybody produces his own sauerkraut – inlaid in barreld and maintainable throughout the winter. Now sauerkraut became the vitamin deliverer for the cold time of the year. That was also known by sailors like James cook which took barrels of sauerkraut with him on his long trips in order to prevent the crew of getting scurvy, an illness wich is triggert by a lack of vitamin c. Sauerkraut is very healthy, since it is very lite and has no fat. It includes many fibers, minerals, lactic acid and the vitamins A, B, C, E and K. In the naturopathy sauerkraut is used at gut problems, since it helps to regenerate the gut flora. The lactic acid of the sauerkraut can mortify microbes.